Introduction : The choice of this area was quite arbitrary. Indeed, there is very little chance that the area is all drained by the same hydrological system. While for some caves, the presumed resurgence is almost certain, the same is not true of others which may drain in totally the opposite direction ! Our choice was governed by means of access: roads, gear lift, paths, a refuge etc.. The Totes Gebirge, which is one of the biggest karst ranges in Austria, is only easily accessible in certain areas, such as the one we discuss in this article. In this area are many kilometres of totally virgin lapiaz. Many hours walking are needed to reach it. Moreover, in this area, only a tiny part is more-or-less prospected. It includes the valleys of Raucherkar and Feuertal, and the areas adjoining the path which goes to them as well as the north face of Hagender Kogel, in which lies the Tropfsteinhöhle, which had extraordinary formations but which is today completely trashed out.
Cave Research : has been mainly carried out by our friends of Upper Austria, an English group, two French groups, and ourselves. For our part we did almost no prospecting, except in 1976. We contented ourselves with the descent of certain known caves - again, not all of them (We bitterly regret this today because others have made discoveries in our place). Our effort was particularly carried out in Ahnenschacht, but a chronic deficiency of able cavers and relevant experience (in 1975 we were only 4) has prevented us from getting as far as we would have liked.
Geology/Hydrology : Not having a geologist in the group, we could only sketch out the major outlines. The great majority of the area is Dachsteinkalk, also with some pockets of Dolomite, well seen in certain places - notably north of the Ahnenschacht. Another problem, the presence of a nappe (overfold) between -400 and -500m which could cause problems in Ahnenschacht. For the Raucherkar, the drainage is practically certain: the flood resurgence is in Nagelsteghöhle to the south of Raucherkar, and north of Altaussee. It should be possible to connect the two either directly, or by diving. QUELLI should also go in the same direction, at least if one believes its trend. Nevertheless, with Quelli opening up 2km NE of Raucherkar, we need to be very careful in drawing conclusions.
AHNENSCHACHT lies in an area with very complex boundaries, and could very well go off in several totally different directions. It is very possible that several directions can be followed. The explorations have not proceeded far enough in plan to be able to decide.
TRUNKEMBOLDSCHACHT and UFO SCHACHT should be expected to head off to the north where many resurgences can be seen. The other directions should nevertheless not be ignored. At any rate, the explorations will be pushed a lot further this year and perhaps it will become clearer to us.
From the hydrological point of view, it is very regrettable that no dye tests have been carried out, and this through lack of authorisation, collaboration and interest !!!
Steiermark - Totes Gebirge - 1632m
Depth 723m Length so far, about 20km
Deepest point is a sump
Location: In the Western Totes Gebirge, south of the Schönberg, 2km SE of Ahnenschacht.
History: Exploration started in 1961. In 1965, the cave was 6km long and 246m deep. The National Austrian expedition of 1965 reached -530m. In 1973, LVfHK Oberösterreich & Steiermark reached a sump at -723m, at which time the length had reached 18km.
Description: The system has no less than 13 entrances ranged between 1500 and 1623m altitude. The labyrinthine system contains several levels of development mostly southwards towards Nagelsteghöhle (the probable resurgence at an altitude of 850m). It is interesting to note that the final sump has been reached by systematically traversing round pitches in excess of 90-40m.
Author of this summary : Etienne Degrave.
Western Totes Gebirge - Feuertal -
Schönberg
Depth -708m Altitude about 1950m
History: Discovered in 1973 by the GSAB under the name T3. Rediscovered in July 1976 by J.M.Piron and explored from 12th to 23rd of July by A.C.Toulon, S.C.Toulon, Lou Darbon and Spéléo Ragaie.
Description: P8, p19, p83, p33, p24, p17, p5, p33, p24, p9, p33, p27, p103. At -400m one reaches a vast passage going up and downhill. The downstream passage emerges at the top of an 84m pitch. Below this a winding canyon interspersed with small pitches gives onto a 15m pitch and the end of exploration at -708m.
Etienne Degrave
Western Totes Gebirge - Hintergras
Depth -587m Altitude 1610m
History: Discovered in July 1976 by F.Vergier. Explored between 12th and 23rd July 1976 by A.C.Toulon, S.C.Toulon, Lou Darbon and Spéléo Ragaie.
Description: Down to -287m the cave is made up of shortish pitches interspersed with tight meandering passage : p8, p12, p17, p9, p20, p3, p12, p30, p7, p6, p9, p8, p7, p5, p34, p6, p8, p5, p9. At -287m, a 21m pitch drops into a large chamber. The water disappears in the boulders to reappear in a whole series of wet pitches of which the longest is 30m. Floods impeded exploration at the bottom of this branch: at -456m a pitch of about 20m was definitely too wet to be descended. At -488m a low passage was also too wet. Moreover, the draught there was weak or absent.
In the chamber at -308m, a reascent of about 15m gave access to a fairly wide fossil canyon which blew a detectable draught. After 30m, this passage opened onto the enormous "Puits de Naufragés" (The Castaway's pitch), with a cross section of 15 by 25 metres. On this pitch, several inlets appeared to come from the first branch explored. The bottom of the pitch contracted to a joint-guided rift, exploration ending at the head of a pitch estimated at 40m.
Etienne Degrave
Location: Western Totes Gebirge - Feuertal
Depth: -612m Length so far: > 5km
Altitude: 1890m
History: Discovered by our Upper Austrian colleagues in 1856. The point -320m was reached by them in 1958. In 1967 and 1968 the Bristol Exploration Club reached -400m, the Horizontal network, with a length of 1 km, was discovered. In 1972, 73, 74 and 75, the GSAB "Les Gours" explored and discovered over 5km of passage and about 1500m of pitches. This got them to -612m. We note also the participation, in 1974, of three French clubs from Eastern France: S.C.Vesoul, G.S.Clerval and S.S.Daules. In 1975 CARSS joined a mini-expedition in July and likewise, CASEO in August.
The entrance is in a small doline situated on the ridge separating Feuertal and Hintergras. The cave starts with four pitches (p14, p11, p5 and p11) which drop onto a slope formed of big boulders (rope desirable). After this, another series of small pitches (p9, p7, p6, p4, p10, p18, p11) from which is reached the "Sinterterrasse" at -141m.
From this point, one has left the zone of small pitches and started a series of pitches which in reality are part of a single shaft down to -400m.
Indeed, if you had an unfortunate accident on the "Sinterterrasse", you would fall all the way to -400m. These pitches are usually wet, especially after rain... Here is the list of pitches: p25, Schuppenstufe 30, p10, Sicherungsstufe 32, Schachtgabel 48, a 10m ramp, Josef Schacht 100m. On the Josef Schacht, a pendulum 6m from the top enables one to reach the entry to the "Horizontal network". Descending the Josef Schacht a little further, after a 6.5m and a 10m pitch, access can be gained to a wide canyon, active in the bottom, and which ends in a fissure. This canyon is fossil in the upper level and certainly presents possibilities for continuation.
After one has crossed the "doorway" and a short squeeze, one enters the network proper. At this point is a passage covered in rather special formations. The first junction gives access to a network [ lines missing from original photocopy - sorry :-(]
This fossil system, which has not been fully travelled through, contains numerous possibilities. It is reached by three principal access routes: the pitch already mentioned; a descending fissure a little before the "Belgica"; and a sloping passage with formations in the "Mammoth pitch" chamber. The system is composed of a big chamber with numerous passages and junctions; it is very poorly known and no doubt houses many surprises. Continuing along the passage, one passes a step of 4m to find a junction, to the left at which lies the bivouac.
Directly after the bivouac, there is a 10m pitch, and at the bottom, a new junction: downhill the "Belgica" passage, of fairly small dimensions, which leads, after traversing past three holes, to a descent of an 8m and a 17m pitch and to the squeezes passed by our French colleagues. [A revoir]
Uphill, discovered by D.Motte and PIE, in the course of the expedition in 1974, is the "Galerie de Francs comtois". This is a large ascending fossil passage interspersed with traverses, dips and pitches. It reascends to -90m. At -150m, a 20m pitch reaches the "Resomega".
A little before the 20m pitch, a short descending canyon passage avoids the 20m pitch and the series of squeezes following it. The "Resomega" is an alternately ascending and descending passage, very chaotic, interspersed with several junctions and pitches which leads to the "Balcon du Visionnaire", offering several possibilities. A 60m pitch gives onto another 60m pitch which is undescended. There is another big pitch in excess of 100m and an unfinished ascending passage. A little before, a 10m pitch allows one to reach a passage interspersed with 3 junctions and 7 exits !!!! This shows the level of complexity which we ran into.
It was also at the "Balcon du Visionnaire" that an accident occurred in 1975, which terminated exploration in that year.
Back in the Horizontal network, and after passing a little bouldery climb an inlet is encountered, named "The Bath". The passage continues a little longer, to end in a pitch. [To be completed]
The following junction has been named "Mammoth Junction" because the passage to the right leads onto the pitch of the same name. It is necessary to exercise great care and attention not to slip hereabouts, because a fall would drop you into same.
The Mammoth Pitch, Para-pitch and probably the "Negus" pitch, form part of the same system ( see survey ) which is composed of a 146m pitch, a 10m pitch and a narrow canyon interspersed with several cascades leading finally to a 35m pitch giving onto the sump at -612m. The Para-pitch, p106, is followed by pitches of 5, 10 and 50m and drops via the latter into the "Mammoth Canyon"
The "Negus" pitch, which is undescended, should also drop into the same canyon. Several other small pitches and active streamways should also rejoin this system.
The depth of 612m should be treated cautiously because the method of survey used (height of a man) is fairly imprecise. The bottom could be anywhere between -580m and -630m. The shortage of time prevented us from redoing our survey. Maybe this year ????
Turning left, the "Zipfer" passage is followed for 150m before reaching an important junction: to the left "Chimneys passage", to the right "Draughting passage".
This is very large with a constant slope, interrupted in the middle by a squeeze and a couple of drops. The "Schnaps pitch" (40m with an unexplored, narrow canyon) is avoided by traversing to reach a 25m pitch in which you must pendulum 5m from the bottom in order to reach a chamber in which is met a small stream. Climbing up a little opposite, a short upper passage rejoins the stream by a 20m pitch. In the chamber, the descent of a 10m pitch allows the stream to be followed to a squeeze beyond which one can hear the grumble of a large river ? A place to go back to.
This is fossil, and tight in places, and allows exploration of a very complex network which intersects itself in various places and which could hold very great surprises, since its exploration has only been sketchily outlined. The exit from this passage is in an area of boulders where two possibilities exist:
To the left: a tight passage has been forced on a slope to "Kitschacht" (Tackle Bag Shaft) a magnificent 50m drop, very wide and completely free hanging. At its base, several possibilities. A tight active canyon which can be bypassed by a fossil passage, broken by an earthy drop of 3m to a huge 15m pitch leading to a sump at -360m.
A drop of a few metres gives access to a huge fossil passage ( 10 x 5m ). The floor of this is cut by a deep canyon which has not been explored. After a hundred metres or so the passage ends at a vast wet pitch. Climbing over a big boulder on the right gives access to another pitch upwards.
Just after the base of Kitschacht, a passage of 80m makes a connection with the system of the "Décollement" pitch at the bottom of the 40m shaft. A canyon leaving the junction passage can be followed for more than 300m, and exits, in several places, into the side of the big fossil passage, just before the pitch upwards.
To the right: The "Décollement" pitch, with, at its base, a sloping chamber full of boulders. To the left a very deep ascending canyon is unexplored. In the bottom is the "Méandre Emeri", so called because the formations are orientated in the direction of progress and of the draught. This rejoins a wide pitch with an inlet. After this 15m pitch is a short canyon and a damp 40m pitch. At the bottom, a huge descending passage suddenly turns almost vertical. This is the "Toboggan", needing 20m of rope (a very spectacular passage). At this level one again cuts a new streamway. The passage continues, then contracts, and chokes at -385m.
Conclusion: An enormous amount to see and to go back and finish. The more we explore, the more we find ! With more support we could do some extraordinary speleological work.
J.C.Hans
Location: Western Totes Gebirge - Hintergras
Depth: -201m Altitude: about 1500m
History: Discovered in August 1974 by D.Motte. Entrance unblocked by GSAB in 1975 and 76. Explored in August 1976 by F.Dechany and J.C.Hans.
Description: The entrance consists of a crack about 20cm high, which was at first cleared as far as a chamber with no way on. The draught which had enabled us to find the entrance now showed us the way on. After having unblocked a fissure dubbed "Sas" we arrived at a pitch. This is broken in five places. A second pitch broken into three leads to a short canyon, then to several drops and pitches interspersed with short squeezes. The following pitches can be seen as forming a single 80m shaft, divided into five and becoming bigger and bigger in depth as well as width. The cave continues by a fault rift two or three metres wide and penetrating by successive notches. The exploration will continue in August 1977.
J.C.Hans
GSAB articles list
Cave descriptions (in English translation):
Ahnenschacht
Trunkemboldschacht
Feuertalsystem
Gouffre Ovni
Overview
of area 1626, and index to caves
Back to Expedition Intro page
Back to CUCC Home page